Grand final waiting game - BFL, HDFL, LVFL, NCFL

DISAPPOINTMENT: White Hills lost to Mount Pleasant in the last grand final it played in 2005. The Demons have played another 199 games since.

WHEN Richmond and the Adelaide Crows take to the MCG on Saturday afternoon, they will end what have been the two longest AFL grand final droughts.

For the Tigers it will be their first grand final since 1982 – 35 years ago – when they were beaten by Carlton by three goals.

The Crows haven’t played in a grand final for 19 years since they beat an inaccurate North Melbourne by 35 points in 1998.

Locally, no clubs across the AFL Central Victoria region, which takes in the Bendigo, Heathcote District, Loddon Valley and North Central leagues, have had a wait as long as Richmond has to play in a grand final.

Inglewood is enduring the longest wait, with 2017 marking 30 years since the Blues last played in a Loddon Valley grand final.

When the Blues take to the field in their first match next season it will be 500 games since they played in their last grand final – 1987 when they lost to YCW.

The Blues are the only club in the AFLCV region not to have played in a grand final in the past 20 years.

Behind the Blues the AFLCV club enduring the next longest gap since playing off for a flag is the 20-year wait Kyneton has now had since its last appearance in 1997.

The Tigers have played 333 games since they belted Golden Square by 67 points in the 1997 Bendigo league decider.

• Games since last grand final appearance:

BENDIGO

KYNETON

20 years, 333 games

1997 – d Golden Square by 67

……………………………….

MARYBOROUGH

18 years, 317 games

1999 – d Castlemaine by 31

……………………………….

KANGAROO FLAT

17 years, 298 games

2000 – lt Castlemaine by 12

……………………………….

CASTLEMAINE

17 years, 296 games

2000 – d Kangaroo Flat by 12

……………………………….

MISSED OPPORTUNITY: South Bendigo's last grand final appearance was in 2010 when the Bloods suffered a 29-point loss to Golden Square on a Sunday.

SOUTH BENDIGO

7 years, 126 games

2010 – lt Golden Square by 29

……………………………….

GISBORNE

5 years, 93 games

2012 – lt Golden Square by 3

……………………………….

GOLDEN SQUARE

1 year, 21 games

2016 – lt Sandhurst by 32

……………………………….

SANDHURST

1 year, 20 games

2016 – d Golden Square by 32

……………………………….

STRATHFIELDSAYE

EAGLEHAWK

Played in grand final this year, Strathfieldsaye d Eaglehawk by 32

……………………………….

HEATHCOTE DISTRICT

WHITE HILLS

12 years, 199 games

2005 – lt Mount Pleasant by 23

……………………………….

MOUNT PLEASANT

11 years, 182 games

2006 – d Elmore by 37

……………………………….

ELMORE

10 years, 170 games

2007 – d Colbinabbin by 99

……………………………….

COLBINABBIN

8 years, 137 games

2009 – d Heathcote by 4

……………………………….

HEATHCOTE

6 years, 101 games

2011 – lt LBU by 6

……………………………….

HUNTLY

4 years, 71 games

2013 – lt LBU by 58

……………………………….

LBU

3 years, 48 games

2014 – d North Bendigo by 11

……………………………….

LEITCHVILLE-

GUNBOWER

NORTH BENDIGO

Played in grand final this year, Leitchville-Gunbower d North Bendigo by 26

……………………………….

LODDON VALLEY

INGLEWOOD

30 years, 499 games

1987 – lt YCW by 28

……………………………….

MAIDEN GULLY YCW

15 years, 247 games

2002 – d Calivil United by 38

……………………………….

MARONG

13 years, 218 games

2004 – lt Calivil United by 66

……………………………….

FORGETTABLE DAY: Pyramid Hill's last grand final appearance was a 99-point loss to Bridgewater in 2011. The Bulldogs have played 109 games since.

PYRAMID HILL

6 years, 109 games

2011 – lt Bridgewater by 99

……………………………….

NEWBRIDGE

5 years, 85 games

2012 – lt Bridgewater by 65

……………………………….

BEARS LAGOON-

SERPENTINE

3 years, 52 games

2014 – lt Bridgewater by 96

……………………………….

MITIAMO

1 year, 18 games

2016 – lt Bridgewater by 50

……………………………….

CALIVIL UNITED

BRIDGEWATER

Played in this year’s grand final, Calivil United d Bridgewater by 34

……………………………….

NORTH CENTRAL

DONALD

8 years, 134 games

2009 – lt Charlton by 12

……………………………….

BOORT

7 years, 115 games

2010 – lt Wycheproof-Narraport by 44

……………………………….

WEDDERBURN

3 years, 48 games

2014 – d Charlton by 1

……………………………….

SEA LAKE NANDALY

2 years, 34 games

2015 – d Ouyen by 54 (Mallee league)

……………………………….

ST ARNAUD

2 years, 32 games

2015 – d Charlton by 8

……………………………….

CHARLTON

1 year, 16 games

2016 – d Wycheproof-Narraport by 7

……………………………….

Wycheproof-Narraport

Birchip-Watchem

Played in this year’s grand final, Wycheproof-Narraport d Birchip-Watchem by 12